Leave A Comment

HBO’s Game of Thrones Debuts First Season 3 Production Still

The night is dark and full of terrors, but here is something that will help Game of Thrones fans find the light.

Production has been under way on the third season of HBO’s hit fantasy series in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and now we have our first proof of it. HBO’s blog Making Game of Thrones has posted a production still from the new episodes along with a vague tease of the scene they’re filming. Here’s their description:

It was an important rehearsal, and the two main protagonists are two of my season favorites: an unexpected pairing, whose war of words is almost as full-on as the fight. This struggle has been choreographed and rehearsed for weeks, with each move carefully placed to match the terrain. The fighters wore pads and fell on crash matts, though for the close-ups later in the week, during the first night shoot of the season, the landing would not be quite so comfortable. It will be a character-defining scene, for more than one who is involved, so it has to be done well.

More departments began to arrive for a full run-through. VFX was involved in creating the final moments of the scene, and special effects had a lot to do to make it all work. Armoury had designed a special weapon for this scene alone, and there was a nervous moment when it was first tested against the wood of a massive tree stump and the body of one of our brave stunt guys.

Fans of the book series will recognize that this post is likely describing the pairing of Jaime and Brienne. We saw them traveling together against their will at the end of Season 2, and that continues at the beginning of Season 3. But they do become unlikely allies after a fight and a certain violent action leaves them both trusting and relying on one another. It’s one of the best scenes in the book series, and we can’t wait to see it unfold on the silver screen.

But both Jaime and Brienne are blonds, and the man in this picture is a brunette. It could be that the scene in question is actually one where Sandor Clegane meets Robin Hood figure Beric Dondarrion … or even when he finds Arya Stark. If it wasn’t already obvious, we’re really looking forward to Season 3.